That is the title of 38-year-old Brendan Powell Smith’s interesting new book, which features passages in the Bible illustrated… in Legos. That’s right, Legos. The Tower of Babel, Noah’s Ark, and the Garden of Eden can all be found in this book – appropriately captioned with quotes taken directly from the “Good Book itself” AND constructed from thousands of different types of the beloved children’s building block toys. It’s definitely a unique take on the ancient text, no?
Unfortunately, as with the original source material, there is now controversy associated with the former web-programmer-turned-author’s work. The “racy scenes” depicted in the book were too much for some shoppers at Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Club, which “pulled the book from its shelves last month after only two weeks, despite brisk sales.” In the words of the author, most of the criticism has been voiced by people who are “either mad [he’s] an atheist, or unaware that there’s sex and violence in the Bible, too.”
On Smith’s website, bricktestament.com, the author warns that the Bible “contains material some may consider morally objectionable and/or inappropriate for children.” That’s why he was unhappy to hear that the Lego version he spent the past decade constructing (and editing so it did not include some of the more risque images his publisher did not feel comfortable putting in the final print version) was considered less appropriate for children than the other Bibles on the shelves at Sam’s Club.
In an e-mail to The Daily mail, a Sam’s Club spokesperson admits that they “miscategorized the book” and this is what led to the decision to discontinue sales; however, those who want to check the book out for themselves should not feel disappointed. “The Brick Bible” is still available at other major retailers, such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, as well as at independent booksellers.
The author thought Legos would be an interesting way to tell the biblical tales, and it is hard to argue that the idea isn’t indeed… interesting. But is it really appropriate to handle the religious material in the way Brendan Powell Smith has? Does being raised by a Sunday school teacher and studying religion at Boston University give him a right to do as he pleases? Should we ignore the fact that he is handling religious material and instead focus on the creative and artistic aspects of his work? What do authorities in the religious community have to say about all of this?
Anyone interested in reading more about “The Brick Bible” and the drama surrounding Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Club can read this article. Anyone interested in viewing just a few more of the images that can be found in the book can click here.
The best thing about lego is how it can be used to express ANYTHING. It can be used by little kids to create cars, it can be used by the Lego company to create famous Star Wars scenes, and it can be used by this man to create a bible. It is possibly the most versatile and easily accessible medium there is, and it requires no training or professional background to use. I’ve seen some amazing and diverse lego works, ranging from things like a life-size Harry Potter to a man ripping open his own chest. It is really wonderful to see Lego be used in so many different ways.
But what is more important is that it gives children an excellent outlet to cultivate their creativity and artistic abilities. With most projects for children, you give them a kit, and they make whats on the box. Besides the small splatters of paint they may put on it after, they are generic and highly unoriginal. But when you give a kid a box of legos, you never know what they will make. Some will make giant towers with alternating patterns and designs. Others will create unique rockets and cars which can be used in imaginary adventures. The possibilities are literally endless. As soon as a child gets past the age where it would be a choking hazard, I strongly suggest getting your kids a box of Lego. It is, without a doubt, a worthy investment.
What an interesting post! Since there are many of us in this class who are quite familiar with these Scriptural stories (Adam and Eve, King David, Noah and the flood), it is interesting to note how someone artistically recreated these stories into something children love-Legos! After examining the article I must concede many pictures were humorous. And cute. Nevertheless, a few were quite inappropriate for eyes of innocent children, even while in innocent Lego form. There is a reason why certain shows are censored and movies have ratings. Furthermore, just as when you pass through certain explicit art exhibits there are warning signs for parent with young children, some topics certain children aren’t ready for. Nude sexual intercourse is still explicit even if the characters are toys. On the positive side, the benefits of such an exhibit is that it presents and an alternative experience for those interested in certain historical tales from one of the oldest books around. Moreover, this reminded me of one of the new exhibits at the Met, displaying Japanese art. At this new exhibit, many traditional tales will be on display located on intricate storytelling scrolls.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/arts/design/storytelling-in-japanese-art-at-the-met-review.html?pagewanted=all
This certainly is interesting, and it reminds me of the manga Bible that I purchased for a friend. While it is great to have visual associations with textual stories, I can understand why the store would take this book off of its shelves. Is that to say that the Bible is inappropriate? Absolutely not. The Bible is real, about people just like us, who do not always make the right decisions. When I read the Bible now, I realize and understand things now that I never did when I was younger. One of the parts involved with “growing up” as a person is coming to understand deeper meanings of things, which comes over time.
Also, I think it is important to address Smith’s motive behind creating this. I do not know what it was, but it would most likely affect my opinion toward the book. Whether his motives were ill or not, his Lego constructions are still interesting depictions of Biblical stories. If he really wants to make Bible stories catch kids’ attention, then he probably should create new depictions of the more racy scenes. Would we want our four year olds prematurely looking at pictures of things that they will learn in due time?